Village Ways

What Village Ways does

Village Ways Travels Pvt. Ltd., founded in 2005 by Manisha Pande and headquartered at Khali Estate in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttarakhand, is a privately held community-based rural tourism company. It operates a direct-to-consumer model, partnering with over 30 villages across Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Kerala to deliver walking holidays, village homestays, and cultural immersion experiences. Its portfolio includes itineraries such as the Himalayan Ridge Trek, Spirit of the South, The Complete Himalayan, From Binsar to Jageshwar, Desert and Mountain, Yoga Retreats in Binsar, the Binsar Birding Festival, and seasonal offerings like the Teheri Mango Festival and Holi/Diw specials. Accommodation spans community-owned guesthouses, the historic Khali Estate, and the Goodearth community houseboat in Kerala.\n\nThe company generates revenue through all-inclusive package holidays priced from approximately £260 to £2,110 per person, with seasonal variation and group discounts for parties of 4+. Bookings are facilitated directly via the villageways.com website, email, WhatsApp, phone, and contact forms, with deposits of 25% at booking and balance 45 days prior. The company operates without external institutional funding, supported by a small central planning team (founder Manisha Pande plus team members Madhu and Swati) and an on-ground village workforce in partner communities. Distribution is intentionally direct, with reliance on earned media in publications such as The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, Evening Standard, and Outlook Traveller, alongside word-of-mouth referrals. A charitable arm, Village Ways Charitable Trust, and a handicrafts sub-brand, Village Made, extend the operating footprint beyond packaged travel.

Name

Village Ways

Legal name

Village Ways Travels Pvt. Ltd.

Website

https://villageways.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Village Ways is a privately held community-based rural tourism company partnering with 30+ villages across six Indian states to offer walking holidays, homestays, and cultural experiences to discerning international and domestic travellers seeking authentic rural immersion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-based rural tourism

NAICS

All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Desert Lodges (THAGAIAF), Rural & Countryside Homes (THAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Community based tourism
• Village homestays
• Walking holidays
• Responsible tourism
• Cultural immersion tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Almora

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Package Holidays and Guided Tours: Village Ways generates revenue through all-inclusive package holidays that bundle accommodation in community guesthouses and partner properties, guided walks, meals, internal transportation, and porter services. Pricing varies by season, party size (with discounts for larger groups of 4+), and itinerary complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Village Ways designs and sells all-inclusive walking holidays and cultural experiences in rural India. Packages bundle accommodation in community-owned guesthouses and partner properties, locally-guided village walks, meals, internal transportation, and porter services. Itineraries span the Himalayas (Uttarakhand), South India (Kerala, Karnataka), the Thar Desert (Rajasthan), and central India (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh).

Product overview

Village Ways is a community-based rural tourism company offering walking holidays, village homestays, and cultural experiences across India. The portfolio includes Himalayan treks (Binsar, Kumaon, Saryu/Pindar valleys), South India experiences (Kerala backwaters, Karnataka spice gardens), Rajasthan desert adventures, and special interest trips (yoga retreats, birding festivals, festival celebrations). Accommodation options span community-owned guesthouses, the historic Khali Estate hotel, and the Goodearth community houseboat. All experiences are designed and operated in partnership with over 30 village communities across Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Kerala.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Village Made: Initiative to promote handicraft items made by the villages of Binsar and adjoining areas.

Products and services

• The Complete Himalayan Extended 14-night walking holiday from Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary through Saryu and Pindar valleys with views of Nanda Devi, Panchachulis, and Nanda Kot peaks, aimed at experiential hikers.
• Spirit of the South 14-night journey through Karnataka spice gardens, Kerala Wayanad hills, backwaters houseboat, Mysore palaces, and Fort Cochin.
• From Desert to Mountain 18-night journey combining Thar Desert (Jodhpur, Hacra) with Rajasthan and Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kumaon Himalayas.
• Khali in Kumaon 10-night walking holiday exploring Khali Estate history, Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary villages, Almora markets, Kausani Gandhi trail, and Nainital.
• From Binsar to Jageshwar 12-night walking holiday through six Binsar villages with temple visits at Jageshwar, featuring 4-5 hours of daily walking with local guides.
• Ramsay's Ramble Gentle walking holiday in Binsar following Sir Henry Ramsay's footsteps with village immersion experiences.
• The Anwals of Pindar Walking holiday with the nomadic pastoral Anwal community in Saryu and Pindar valleys with high Himalayan views.
• Walk in the Himalayas Walking and trekking holidays in the Indian Himalayas, including the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary and Saryu/Pindar valleys, with village-to-village walks and local guide services.
• The Warm South India South India travel experiences covering Karnataka spice gardens, Kerala backwaters, and Wayanad hills with community homestays.
• Rajasthan - Thar Desert Experience Desert village experiences in Rajasthan including Hacra village, camel treks, and cultural immersion in the Thar Desert.
• The Heart of India Central India experiences including Satpura forests, Chhattisgarh, and the Teheri Mango Festival in Madhya Pradesh.
• Himalayan Ridge Trek 4-day, 3-night high-altitude trekking experience to Jaikuni Bugyal (3,000m ridge) with tented camp accommodation and views of Nanda Devi peaks.
• Women's-exclusive Journey to Binsar Women-only walking holidays in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary with female guides and village hosts.
• Yoga Retreats in Binsar 8-night yoga retreats at Khali Estate combining daily yoga sessions with forest walks and village hospitality in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Festival Specials (Holi & Diwali) 10-night small group holidays celebrating Holi and Diwali festivals in Binsar villages with traditional festivities and cultural experiences.
• Binsar Birding Festival 10-night annual birdwatching festival in April at Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary featuring guided birding hikes, expert talks, workshops, and wildlife spotting.
• Village Guesthouses (Village Homestays) Community-owned-and-managed guesthouses in partner villages across Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Kerala, with twin bedroom accommodation and shared facilities.
• Khali Estate Historic 150-year-old mountain hotel in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, built by Sir Henry Ramsay, featuring stone rondavel cabins among pine trees with views of Himalayan peaks.
• Goodearth Houseboat Community-owned and crewed rice-barge style houseboat on Kerala backwaters with two twin cabins, stopping at Vayalar, Chenganda, Perumbalam, and Kodamthuruthu villages.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UpaSAC (Uttarakhand Parvatiya Aajeevika Sanverdhan Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012UpaSAC is part of an internationally-funded project to improve livelihoods of poor, remote communities in Uttarakhand. They partnered with Village Ways to co-fund the renovation and conversion of the Drongo House guesthouse in Matkanya village in 2012.
• Responsible Tourism Mission, Government of KeralaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVillage Ways collaborates with the women-led home kitchen project started by the Responsible Tourism Mission, Govt of Kerala, where local cuisine is served to guests on the houseboat experience.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• G Adventures: Large small-group tour operator with a community-based tourism (CBT) emphasis and India tours. Comparable on responsible-tourism narrative and small-group walking/cultural itineraries, but operates globally with a much wider portfolio than Village Ways.
• Intrepid Travel: Global small-group adventure tour operator with a stated responsible tourism framework and broad portfolio including India itineraries. Comparable as a broader incumbent in responsible small-group adventure travel, though operating at much larger scale and across many geographies.
• Airbnb Experiences: Global platform offering hosted local experiences and homestays, including rural India offerings. Comparable as a broader incumbent in alternative/accommodation-led travel, though experiences are typically short-format and do not match Village Ways' multi-day village itineraries.
• MakeMyTrip: India's largest online travel agency offering flights, hotels, holiday packages, and homestays across the country. Comparable as a broader incumbent in Indian travel and accommodation booking, though its portfolio is dominated by mainstream hotels rather than community-based tourism.

Direct peers

• India Untravelled: India-focused responsible and experiential travel marketplace curating community-run homestays, village stays, and offbeat destinations. Closely comparable to Village Ways on the responsible-tourism positioning, village host network, and D2C consumer model in India.
• Grassroutes: Indian community-based rural tourism company offering village homestays, cultural experiences, and slow travel across Maharashtra and other states. Directly comparable to Village Ways in its village-owned accommodation model, walking/cultural itineraries, and focus on rural India immersion.
• Responsible Travel: UK-based marketplace that curates and sells holidays from vetted responsible tourism operators worldwide, including India-focused village stays and walking holidays. Directly comparable as a peer in the responsible/community-tourism category with a UK customer base similar to Village Ways' GBP-priced audience.
• Wild Frontiers: UK adventure and cultural tour operator specializing in off-the-beaten-path destinations including walking, wildlife, and community experiences across Asia. Comparable on small-group walking holidays in remote regions with a focus on cultural immersion and a UK-centric customer base.
• Spiti Ecosphere: Spiti Valley-based social enterprise running community-owned homestays, eco-lodges, and cultural tours in Himachal Pradesh. Closely comparable to Village Ways on the community-owned accommodation model, Himalayan location, and non-profit-adjacent social mission.

Emerging players

• Wandering Earl: Independent operator running community-based trekking and cultural tours in the Indian Himalayas including Uttarakhand. Comparable on walking holidays in the same Kumaon/Himalayan region and on small-team operator profile, though smaller scale than Village Ways.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/villageways
• Facebookfacebook.com/villageways
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/village-ways-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Village Ways